How to Apply to South Dakota State University

Browse around SDState.edu. Research different degree types and interest areas^[1]  to find your perfect department and major. Some majors require an internship and others may require educational travel to graduate. And some programs are completely online. Find out the requirements for the major that most interests you.

Learn about campus. Read about all that’s offered on campus and what student life^[2]  is like. Make sure to schedule a campus tour^[3]  to see the campus for yourself. Check out the more than 200 clubs and organizations^[4] available on campus or brainstorm ideas for your own club. Learn how to get involved with the student newspaper, the Collegian,^[5] , Greek Life^[6] , Hobo Day^[7] , the student radio station, KSDJ^[8] , State A Thon^[9] or University Program Council^[10] .

Complete required paperwork needed for the application.

• First-time, domestic freshmen need to meet one of the following requirements: an ACT composite score or ACT superscore of 18 or SAT Math and Reading/Writing subscore total of 970; or Level 3 or higher on Math and English Language Arts Smarter Balance Assessment; or a high school cumulative GPA of 2.6 or higher; or a ranking in the top 60 percent of graduating class.
• International undergraduate students need to meet language and academic requirements. An SAT 950 or ACT 18 or TOEFL iBT 61 or IELTS 5.5. Other waivers may apply. See details^[11] . A high school GPA minimum 2.6 equivalent. See academic requirements^[12] for specific countries.
• International graduate students also need to meet language and academic requirements. A TOEFL iBT 71 or IELTS 5.5. Some programs have higher minimum requirements. Find program specific requirements by selecting your program of interest in the Graduate Catalog ^[13] . An undergraduate minimum GPA of 3.0 for unconditional admission.
• Students transferring to SDSU from another post-secondary institution are eligible for admission if they have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher and are in good standing with all institutions attended. Students who have less than 24 transferable credits are also required to meet the freshmen admission requirements.
• Be sure to have access to the needed transcripts, documents and other information to send off if applicable.
• Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, graduating high school seniors are able to apply to SDSU without needing an ACT or SAT score.

Create a Self Service Center account. Fill out all of the required fields to start your self service center account^[14] . You will need this account to fill out your online application. Use an email address that you will have access to after high school or after transferring.

Fill out the application. An online application can be found on SDSU’s website^[15] . Choose which semester you wish to apply for. Then, complete the form and pay the $20 application fee. SDSU accepts applications on a rolling admissions timeline; however, if you are an international student, keep these key deadlines in mind:

• The fall semester application deadline for undergraduate international students is June 15 and the spring semester application deadline is November 15.
• The fall semester application deadline for graduate international students in April 15 and the spring semester application deadline is October 15.

Apply for aid. The price of tuition, books, and activity fees can add up quickly each semester. Head over to www.studentaid.gov^[16]  to start the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) process and see if you’re eligible for financial aid. Also be sure to fill out the SDSU scholarship application^{[17] [18]} and have a high school transcript submitted to be eligible for first-time freshmen scholarships^[19] . Feel free to contact SDSU’s Financial Aid office^[20]  if you have additional questions.

Read about SDSU student success. With over 180 areas of study to choose from, many students have found academic and career success at SDSU. Check out interviews with students^[21]  or read about Hattie Seten^[22] , recent Rhodes Scholar recipient and Students’ Association president.

Get to know MyState and D2L accounts. MyState^[23] and D2L^[24] will be regular sites you visit as a student at SDSU. MyState is the center of electronic life for Jackrabbits. D2L is used to provide course materials to students.